Israel declares border with Egypt a restricted area

Massive smuggling with drones

Israel declares border with Egypt a restricted area

According to Israeli media reports, there is massive smuggling of weapons and drugs on the border between Israel and Egypt. Israel is now declaring “war” on the whole thing.

In view of massive arms smuggling with the help of drones, the Israeli Defense Minister has declared his country’s border area with Egypt a restricted military area. Shooting orders should be changed accordingly, said a statement from Minister Israel Katz.

It was agreed with the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, David Zini, to define the threat of arms smuggling using drones as a terrorist threat. “We declare war – anyone who enters the forbidden area will be hit,” said Katz’s statement. The shooting orders should be tightened so that any unauthorized person who enters the restricted area can be hit. This is aimed at drone operators and smugglers.

“Arms smuggling using drones is part of the Gaza war and aims to arm our enemies – and every means must be used to stop it,” Katz said in the statement. It must be made clear to the smugglers that the rules of the game have changed, “and they will pay a very high price if they don’t stop.”

According to Israeli media reports, there is massive smuggling of weapons and drugs on the border between Israel and Egypt. The Times of Israel reported that smugglers on the Israeli side typically approached the border to a distance of one to five kilometers, then piloted drones across the border into Egypt and landed them there again one to three kilometers from the fence. On the Egyptian side, smugglers load the drones with contraband and the smugglers on the Israeli side then control the drones back.

According to media reports, the weapons are intended for criminal gangs in Israel, but some of them also end up in the Gaza Strip. Egypt has denied reports of arms smuggling on the border with Israel in the past.